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Germany
Economy - the fifth largest economy in the world. A leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Geography: Germany is in Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. People, Society, Economy Nationality: German Ethnic Groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish) Language: German Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% Population: 81,147,265 (July 2013 est.) Major Urban Areas: BERLIN (capital) 3.438 million; Hamburg 1.786 million; Munich 1.349 million; Cologne 1.001 million (2009) Wage Requirements: There is no minimum requirement in Germany, except for construction workers, electrical workers, janitors, roofers, painters, and letter carriers. Minimum wage is often set by collective bargaining agreements in other sectors of the economy and enforceable by law. However, the law states that paying a worker an “immoral” wage is illegal. There is no general consensus what constitutes “immoral,” but a judge ruled that a cashier at a supermarket has to earn the equivalent of approx 7USD per hour. The federal courts in Germany ruled that any wage lower than 75% of the average wage or salary for a specific occupation constitutes illegal payment. However, since there is no well defined legal minimum wage as of February 2013, courts are usually the ones who have the final say and will only rule for individual cases. Employment Documentation: Residents of European Union nations are not required to obtain a work permit in Germany. Residents outside of European Union are required to have a work permit before or after arriving in Germany. Staying in Germany for more than 90 days require a visa or residency permit that includes the permission to work from the Stanesamt-Eihwohnermedleamt (Registration Office.) The authorities will need approval from the Federal Employment Agency to grant work visas. Before applying for the work visa, a valid passport and identification card must be provided. A sponsor letter from a host to be financially responsible for the employee will also be required. Cultural Aspects: Food: '''There is a large concentration of meat, especially sausage, sweet dessert, rye bread, beer, and white wine. Germans eat with both hands on the table. The knife is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. The food is cut with the knife, and lifted with the fork in the left hand. People: Germans are said to be stubborn or argumentative. There is a higher level of attention to logic. '''Family: Families have an average of two children. While it is fairly common for both parents to work, many mothers choose not to work or to work part-time while their children are small. To promote the idea of family, German law allows new mothers to take a year off to raise their baby. They receive kindergeld ('child money') each month, and must be placed in the same or similar position when they return to work. Holidays: Germany is a predominantly Christian country, with more Protestants in the north, and more Catholics in the south. Germans celebrate Christmas, Easter and New Year’s Eve similar to the U.S. On St. Nicholas Day, children leave their shoes outside the door for St. Nicholas to come by at night to fill it with sweets. Category:Country Profile